The Inheritance
by Matthew Lopez

Name: The Inheritance
Brand: Matthew Lopez
SKU: 9780571362264
Rating: 4.51 (2028 reviews)

BroadwayWest EndOff-West End

The Inheritance Book Cover — The Inheritance Cover

Highlights

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Large Cast

Female

Male

120 minsPresent DayAll MenUnit Set/Multiple SettingsContemporary Costumes/Street ClothesAmerican LGBTQ

Awards & Recognition

Drama Desk AwardOlivier AwardTony Award

Winner! Four 2020 Tony Awards, including Best Play Winner! Four 2019 Olivier Awards, including Best New Play Winner! Five 2020 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Play Nominee: Eleven 2020 Tony Awards

What readers are saying

Readers are overwhelmingly impressed by 'The Inheritance,' praising it as a vital piece of queer literature that resonates deeply with the LGBTQ community. Many appreciate its exploration of generational connections and the impact of the AIDS epidemic, often citing its emotional depth and beautiful writing. The narrative is described as both heart-wrenching and uplifting, providing powerful reflections on love and identity. Readers express a strong desire to see it performed live, feeling that the reading experience is profoundly moving in its own right.

Powerful exploration of gay identityEmotional and moving storytellingBeautifully written and poignantCaptivating characters and themesSome parts feel too melodramatic

Synopsis

Inspired by E. M. Forster’s novel Howards End

, and set in New York three decades after the height of the AIDS epidemic, The Inheritance wrestles with what it means to be a gay man today, exploring relationships and connections across age and social class and asking what one generation’s responsibilities may be to the next.

Matthew Lopez’s The Inheritance premiered at the Young Vic Theatre, London, in 2018, before transferring to the West End’s Noel Coward Theatre.

It premiered on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in 2019.

This edition includes revisions made for the Broadway production.

Press Reviews

"Pierces your emotional defenses, raises any number of political issues and enfolds you in its narrative… It teems with life and incident."
— The Guardian (UK)

"A ravishing theatrical work that urges generations to connect and love… A head-spinning, heart-rending theatrical experience… It’s impossible not to marvel at the incisively hilarious and deeply humane effort put forth by López… The Inheritance is an emotional powerhouse… Gripping from first scene to last… Make no mistake, it’ll take a piece out of you."
— Rolling Stone

"It is a show that never ceases to engage, impact, amuse, infuriate, enthrall... but, mostly, it also never ceases to touch you."
— METRMAG

"It feels like a universal call to live vibrantly and thoroughly and to consider what we owe to the generations that come before or after."
— WBUR

"Its authoritative delivery offers new insights along with familiar emotional impact."
— New York Stage Review

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Young Man 2 / Jason #1 Late 20s to early 30s, Black	—	20s	Late 20s to early 30s, Black
Young Man 3 Early 20s, any race/ethnicity	—	20s	Early 20s, any race/ethnicity
Young Man 4 Early 20s, any race/ethnicity	—	20s	Early 20s, any race/ethnicity
Young Man 5 / Charles Wilcox Late 20s to early 30s, any race/ethnicity	—	20s	Late 20s to early 30s, any race/ethnicity
Young Man 6 / Tristan 30s, Black	—	30s	30s, Black
Young Man 7 / Jasper / Paul Wilcox 30s, White	—	30s	30s, White
Young Man 8 / Jason #2 Late 20s to early 30s, Latin/Hispanic	—	20s	Late 20s to early 30s, Latin/Hispanic
Young Man 9 / Eric Glass 30s, White	—	30s	30s, White
Young Man 10 / Toby Darling Late 20s to early 30s, any race/ethnicity	—	20s	Late 20s to early 30s, any race/ethnicity
E.M. Forster (“Morgan”) / Walter Poole 50s, any race/ethnicity	—	50s	50s, any race/ethnicity
Henry Wilcox 50s, White	—	50s	50s, White
Man Played by any ensemble member	—	—	Played by any ensemble member
Young Man 1 / Adam Mcdowell / Leo Early 20s, any race/ethnicity	—	20s	Early 20s, any race/ethnicity

Videos

The Inheritance – Tony Awards Feature

Available Editions

Format	Publisher	Year	Pages	ISBN-13	Price
Paperback · Complete Edition	Faber & Faber	2020	336	9780571362264	$14.09
Paperback · Part One	Dramatists Play Service	—	—	9780822240778	Buy
Paperback · Part Two	Dramatists Play Service	—	—	9780822242178	Buy